Bridgeport, Pa. – Arnolds Office Furniture, the world leader in online used office furniture, now offers open plan office furniture designed for open office workspaces. The new product line, which addresses today's major "desking" trend, is made from repurposed furniture parts, but is indistinguishable from brand new office furniture. The new furniture allows Arnolds to offer even more office furniture options at about 50% the price of comparable solutions, while reusing resources and minimizing environmental footprint.

Today's open plan workstations have become popular in many industries, including information technology. These office plans avoid the light blocking properties of cubicle walls, while providing some degree of privacy by incorporating "sitting height" or "standing height" partitions between work stations. These set-ups offer flexibility and answer workers' needs for freedom from distraction while making in-person communication easier.

Companies that have tried open plan workstations report an increased sense of community that still allows privacy and concentration. When acoustical partitions are used in workstations along with acoustical ceiling tiles and sound masking, sound is actually blocked better than it is with old fashioned wall and door offices, according to a 2007 study by Armstrong World Industries.

"Organizations that require employee interdependence and go with the open workstation plans typically see noticeable increases in productivity," says Jay Berkowitz, owner of Arnolds Office Furniture. "We're excited to offer these products at very competitive price points while reusing resources at the same time."

The open plan workstation is poised to become much more common in workplaces that require collaboration, due to the productivity gains that can be realized. "If we can help a company install an open plan workstation concept and do it for half the price, there's no reason why even small or start-up businesses can't reap the benefits of this type of workplace design," says Berkowitz.

Source: Arnolds Office Furniture